Ratchet ski binder



sept. 3, 1963 w. N. BENNETT 3,102,279

-RATCHET SKI BINDER I Filed NOV. 22, 1961 j INVENTOR ATTORNEYS 3,102,279RATCHET SKI BINDER j William N. Bennett, Winter Haven, Fla., assignor toCypress Garden Skis, Inc., Cypress Gardens, Fla. Filed Nov. 22, 1961,Ser. No. 154,123 7 Claims.. (Cl. 9-310) This invention relates toIrecreation and sporting activities and more particularly to Ian'improved binder especially adapted for water skis.

Water skis are frequently used for short periods of time and by variousskiers. Hence it is desirable that the bindings be easy to apply andremove.

Adjustable ski binders proposed heretofore have oftentimes beendiliicult to operate or had parts protruding outside of the side edgesof the ski. Among the dithculties accompanying some previous skiharnesses is the adjustable ski binding which is easy to operate bothduring adjustment to the foot and removal of the latter therefrom.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description in conjunction with the :accompanying drawing inwhich- FIG. l is a fragmentary plan view of a ski binder constructed invaccordance, with the present invention; l

FIG. 2, a side elevation of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a section on theline 3--3 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 4, a section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 5, a plan view similar to FIG. 1 and illustrating the ratchet inengaged position.

Brieiiy stated, the ski binder of the present invention includes a heelpiece positioned to reciprocate in longitudinal-facing rguideways ateach side of the ski, one of the guideways having a ratchet, a bellcrankpanel pivotally mounted on the heel piece and having its fingerengageable part positioned along the longitudinal center line of theski, and a iixed member adjacent thereto and behind the heel piece,`depression of the lever releasing the ratchet and permitting movementof the heel piece by force applied along the centerline and in the`appropriate direction. f

With further reference to thev drawing there is illustrated a ski `10lhaving la fixed toe plate 11 to which av toe cover 12 is attached.`Behind the toe plate a pair o-f guides or slideways 14, 15 `areattached to the sides of ski byttasteners 16. Slideway 14 has upper andlower strips 17, 18 connected by a web 19 which preferably is `providedwith slots 20 .to permit the discharge of foreign matter therefrom `such.as sand. Guideway 15 has upper` and lower strips 21, `22 connected byweb 23 having slots 24. 'Ihe rearward portion of the upper guide 21 ofthe slide wlay -15 is notched to form ratchet teeth 25, the teeth havingtransverse leading edges 26 and inclined trailing edges 27.

A heel plate 30 has its side edges received in the slide- `ways betweenthe upper and lower strips or guides, the

lower surface of the heel plate being spaced above the surface of theVski as -a result of being supported on the lower guides I18, 22,thereby preventing direct contact United States Patent ICC between theheel plate and the ski obviating the possibility of binding actiontherebetween.

Mounted on the heel plate is a exible heel cover 31. At one side of theheel cover 31 and adjacent to the edge ofthe heel plate la bell cranklever 34 is pivotally mounted on a pin 35 secured in the heel plate. Thelever has thu-rnb or foretinger receiving end portion 37 and a paneltooth or clog 38 at its other end. In' order to urge the dog 38 intoengagement with the ratchet 25 a spring 39 is positioned laround pin 35.and has one end 40 secured to the base by means of an anchor hole 41 onthe side ladjacent to the nger portions 37 and its other end 42 abuttinga stop 43 )adjacent to the dog 38.

An abutment 45 projects upwardly from the heel plate 'directly on thecenter line of the heel cover 31. The lever 34 is so constructed andarranged that the finger portion 37 is positioned adjacent to theabutment 45. Hence, to move the heel plate rearwardly, a skier operatesthe lever 34 by engaging the iinger piece `37 and abutment 45, therebyreleasing the ratchet, and applies rearward force to the abutment (alongthe longitudinal center line) thereby :avoiding any angular applicationof force which would tend to cock the heel plate in the slid-eway andproducing binding therein.

The dog 33 has its leading edge 38 inclined to engage with the inclinedtrailing edge 27 of the ratchet teeth 25 and has its trailing edge 38transversely disposed to engage the leading edge 26 of the ratchetteeth.

In' the 'use of the device a skier moves the heel plate rearwardly, ifnecessary, to permit easy insertion of a tfoot, this bein-g accomplishedby depressing the lever 34 and applying rearward force to the abutment45 of the ski. After insertion of his foot, the skier may, by continuingdepression of the lever 34, rapidly move the heel plate forwardly intoapproximate position without the 'dog being `engaged with the ratchetteeth. Then with the lever released, the skier may push forwardly on anyportion of the heel piece, the angular inclination of theengagin-gsurfaces of the ratchet and :dog teeth permitting forward ratchetmovement of the heel plate.

Accordingly it will be understood that the invention includes a skibinder, with spaced slideways receiving a heel plate, one of theslideways having a rack engageable by a panel having an operatorengageable portion positioned substantially along the center line of theski and an :abutment directly behind the center of the heel cover tofacilitate one hand adjustment of the heel plate without binding in theslideways.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may bemade in the invention without departing from the spirit and scopethereof and therefore the invention'is not limited by that which isillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but onlyas indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A ski binder comprising a toe plate rigidly attached to aski,

a toe cover on the toe plate, and an adjustable heel plate assemblyspaced behind the toe plate,

Isaid 'assembly comprising spaced yguideways at each side of the ski,

said Yguidevvays comprising upper and lower spaced iguides connected bylouter webs and providing inwardly directed opposed channels,

the webs having openings to permit the discharge of Iforeign material,one of the upper lguides yhaving teeth formed therein -to provide arack,

n the leading edge of said teeth being transverse to said rack and thetrailing edge of said -teeth being inclined rearwardly [from the tip ofsaid teeth, a heel plate mounted -or reciprocation in said guideways,

the lower surface of said heel plate being spaced above the uppersurface of said ski, -a heel cover on said heel plate, a bell cranklever pivotally mounted adjacent to the edge of said heel plate,

said lbell crank lever having at the end of one arm a `dog engageablewith the teeth of said rack and at the end of its other arm a fingerreceiving portion, means resiliently urging the dog into engagement withthe teeth of the rack,

said dog having an inclined leading edge adapted to engage the inclinedtrailing edge of said rack teeth and a transverse trailing edge adaptedto engage the transverse leading edge of said rack teeth, and anabutment extending upwardly from the heel plate directly behind thecenter line of the heel and along the centerline of the ski, said bellcrank lever being so constructed and arranged that its `lingerengageable portion is movable approximately yalong the centerline of theski and engages said abutment along said centerline whereby said levermay be depressed to release said dog from ysaid rack and force may beapplied to the heel plate along its centerline to move the plate in alongitudinal direction without binding and whereby torce may be appliedto the heel plate or heel cover in a direction toward the toe plate topermit ratchet ladjustment of said heel plate. 2. A ski bindercomprising a toe cover, and an adjustable heel plate assembly spacedbehind the toe cover,

said assembly comprising spaced lguideways at each side of the ski,

said guideways having inwardly directed opposed channels one of theguideways having teeth to provide a rack,

the leading edge of said teeth being transverse to said rack and thetrailing edge of said teeth being inclined, a heel plate mounted forreciproeation in said guideways, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted onsaid heel plate,

said bell crank lever having at the end of one arm -a dog engageablewith the teeth of said rack and at Ithe end of its other arm a fingerreceiving portion, means resiliently urging the dog into engagement withthe teeth of the rack,

said dog having an inclined leading edge adapted to engage the inclinedtr-ailing edge of said rack teeth and la transverse trailing edgeadapted to engage the transverse leading edge of said rack teeth, and anabutment extending upwardly from the lheel plate directly behind thecenter line of the heel and along the centerline of the ski, said bellcrank lever being so constructed and arranged that its finger engageableportion is movable approximately along the centerline of the ski `andengages said abutment along said centerline whereby said lever may bedepressed to release said dog from said rack and force may be applied tothe heel plate along its centerline to move `the plate in a longitudinaldirection without binding and whereby force may be applied to the heelplate or heel cover in a direction toward the vtoe plate to permitratchet adjustment of said heel plate.

3. An adjustable Iheel plate assembly comprising spaced guideways, aheel plate slidably received between the guideways, rack means on one ofsaid guideways, a lever pivotally mounted on ysaid heel plate, `saidlever having tooth means engageable with said rack means and operatingmeans spaced therefrom and positioned along the center line of the heelplate, means resiliently urging said tooth means into engagement withsaid rack means, and abutment means projecting from said heel platealong its center line and engageable by said operating means when thelatter is depressed.

4. The invention of claim 3 in which said guideways support said heelplate above the surface on which the guideways are mounted.

5. The invention of claim 3 in which said rack means has inclinedtrailing edges on its teeth and said tooth means of said lever has aninclined leading edge whereby said heel plate may be moved forwardlywithout manually depressing ysaid operating lever.

6. The invention of claim 3 in which said guideways have openings alongltheir sides permitting the discharge of foreign matter.

7. A ski heel plate assembly comprising spaced slideways, a heel platemounted for reciprocation in said slide- Ways, one of 'said slidewayshaving engageable means, a lever movably mounted on said heel plate andhavin-g engaging means for engaging said engageable means to restrictmovement of said heel plate along said slideways, said lever having anoperating portion positioned along the longitudinal centerline of saidski and operable by motion substantially along said centerline, andmeans urging said engaging means into engagement with said engageablemeans, whereby said engaging means may be released by operation of saidportion and the application of force thereto along the centerlinethereby obviating any tendency to bind of the heel plate in theslideways.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

7. A SKI HEEL PLATE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING SPACED SLIDEWAYS, A HEEL PLATEMOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATION IN SAID SLIDEWAYS, ONE OF SAID SLIDEWAYSHAVING ENGAGEABLE MEANS, A LEVER MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID HEEL PLATE ANDHAVING ENGAGING MEANS FOR ENGAGING SAID ENGAGEABLE MEANS TO RESTRICTMOVEMENT OF SAID HEEL PLATE ALONG SAID SLIDEWAYS, SAID LEVER HAVING ANOPERATING PORTION POSITIONED ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL CENTERLINE OF SAIDSKI AND OPERABLE BY MOTION SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG SAID CENTERLINE, ANDMEANS URGING SAID ENGAGING MEANS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ENGAGEABLEMEANS, WHEREBY SAID ENGAGING MEANS MAY BE RELEASED BY OPERATION OF SAIDPORTION AND THE APPLICATION OF FORCE THERETO ALONG THE CENTERLINETHEREBY OBVIATING ANY TENDENCY TO BIND OF THE HEEL PLATE IN THESLIDEWAYS.